Unveiling the Abstract Beauty in Everyday Landscapes

Alex Besikian combines digital and analogue techniques to depict abstract shapes he finds in our everyday landscapes. The Paris-based artist’s graphic artworks are a mishmash of digital colours, drawings on paper, and collages of textures he finds in old photographs.. “We usually tend to recognise familiar forms in abstract shapes, but it’s the opposite that interests me,” says artist Alex Besikian. “I use existing pictures to create new compositions, as a collage, where I overlay my own digital creations onto these images."

From Familiarity to Unfamiliarity

By taking elements from our everyday world and manipulating them digitally, Besikian creates visually striking artworks that are both thought-provoking and beautiful. His process is meticulous, involving hours of research and experimentation before settling on the perfect composition. The resulting pieces not only showcase his technical skill but also challenge the viewer to reevaluate their relationship with familiar forms.

For example, in "The City's Pulse," Besikian overlays a digital grid onto a photograph of a bustling city street. At first glance, the image appears to be simply a reflection of the real thing, but upon closer inspection, the grid reveals itself as a new entity – one that is both familiar and strange. This juxtaposition highlights Besikian's interest in exploring how we perceive and interpret abstract shapes.

The Role of Texture

One of the key elements that sets Besikian's artworks apart from more traditional digital creations is his use of texture. He scours old photographs for fragments of fabric, paper, or other materials, which he then incorporates into his compositions. These textures add a tactile quality to the artwork, inviting the viewer to engage with the piece on multiple levels.

In "The Natural World," Besikian combines a digital image of a forest landscape with fragments of old tree bark and leaves. The result is a visually striking piece that not only showcases Besikian's technical skill but also invites the viewer to contemplate the relationship between nature and technology.

A Meditation on Perception

Throughout his work, Besikian seems to be engaged in a meditation on perception – specifically how we perceive and interpret abstract shapes. His use of digital and analogue techniques creates a sense of tension and contrast, highlighting the complexities of human perception.

In "The City's Fragment," Besikian overlays a digital grid onto a photograph of a city street, but this time, he also incorporates fragments of old maps and architecture. The result is a piece that not only challenges our perceptions of space and geometry but also invites us to consider the ways in which our surroundings shape our understanding of the world.

A Visual Language

Besikian's use of visual language is both intuitive and deliberate. His artworks are not simply representations of his digital creations, but rather a new way of seeing – one that challenges our assumptions about abstract shapes and their role in our everyday lives.

As he notes, "I'm interested in exploring how we can see beyond the familiar to find new meaning in unexpected places." Through his work, Besikian invites us to reevaluate our relationship with abstraction, to consider the ways in which it shapes our perceptions of the world.

More Similar Articles